Cake for breakfast, every girl's birthday dream

Happy birthday to me! Today I woke up to best news a girl can hear on her birthday: “Chocolate cake for breakfast could help you lose weight,” reported The Huffington Post.

That’s according to a recent study from Tel Aviv University, which found that eating dessert with breakfast may help you avoid craving sweets later in the day.

Researchers divided participants into two groups, one that ate a 300-calorie breakfast and the other that ate a 600-calorie breakfast that included dessert. In both groups, men consumed1600 calories per day and women consumed 1400. The group that ate the 300-calorie breakfast also followed a low-carb diet.

At the end of the 32-week study, those who had consumed a 600-calorie breakfast had lost an average of 40 pounds more per person than those in the other group.

OK, that’s great, but how does it translate to the headline, “Chocolate cake for breakfast will help you lose weight”?  The study’s author, Daniela Jakubowicz, contends that the people who ate a large breakfast with dessert were less likely to indulge later in the day, whereas those who started the day by restricting calories experienced more intense sugar cravings and cheated on their diets.

It seems to me that this study has too many variables to be valid.  First of all, only one group participated in a low-carb diet. Second, the two breakfasts differed by the overall number of calories, not just whether dessert was included.

What we do know (and have learned from other studies) is that a highly restrictive diet does not work in the long run.

And, since I enjoyed a homemade veggie omelet and fresh strawberries for breakfast, I think I’ll wait till tonight to have my cake.

Eat this dip by the spoonful -- it's good for you!

I have a mantra that accompanies me to parties: More veggies, less dip/More salsa, less chip.

You never know what’s in a dip, but most likely it  won’t bode well for your waistline. Salsa, on the other hand, is a safe bet, made mostly of tomatoes and spices.

But recently, I discovered a dip recipe that allows me to smother my carrot sticks and cucumbers to my heart’s delight – and it is SO simple.

You need only four ingredients: Fat-free Greek yogurt, dill, green onions, and sea salt

I usually start with the yogurt and add lots of dill and green onions (you can’t have too much). Then I add a tiny bit of sea salt to taste. This dip is seriously delicious and packed with protein.

Go ahead and try it for this year’s Superbowl party. No one will even suspect that it’s healthy!

One day old

12: Hours I spent in labor at the hospital

4: Hours I spent power-walking the hospital hallways to speed up my contractions. (Note to self: Next time bring a pedometer and better shoes.)

6: Minutes I pushed. He shot out like a cork in a champagne bottle, along with my water.

1: Pounds per week Dariusz has gained since leaving the hospital. He’s pushing 14 now.

23: Pounds I gained during pregnancy

6: Pounds left to lose as of six weeks postpartum

5: Longest consecutive number of hours Daruisz has slept. (Once. We thought he died!)

300+: Number of diapers already changed

4: Times I’ve been peed on while changing a diaper

2: Days I’ve been to the gym since giving birth. Thank you, Grandma!

4: Weeks it took to button my skinny jeans (not including the muffin top)

10: Minutes I have (if I’m lucky) until the hungry little guy wakes up to eat.  Later!

I might be tough, but am I tough enough for labor?

In my best effort to mentally prepare for childbirth, I have been comparing it to a sports competition. After all, if labor is such a physical event, my experience enduring 26.2-mile beasts, grueling interval workouts, awkward yoga poses and high-pressure team sports should prepare me for the discomfort ahead.

In fact, today I announced to my husband, who came home to find me sprawled out on the couch for the third day in a row, “I’m tapering.”

But after reviewing the game rules of labor, I’m more than a bit intimidated. I am, however, convinced of one thing: If labor were a sport, it would top Ironman.

• You spend nine months training but don’t know the exact day or time of the event. For the last month, you must be ready to go at any moment. Unfortunately, you will spend these final weeks in the worse physical condition than you were when you started training. You will feel more tired, weaker and more out of shape than ever before.
• Your coach will have never played the sport before, but he will be the main person responsible for your success – besides you, of course. Oh yeah, if this is your first birth, you will have no experience, either.
• The format can best be described as an intense interval workout that lasts up to 24 hours and continues to get harder the longer you stay in the game. By the end, intervals will consist of 90 seconds on with 60 seconds rest. Once you’ve started, there are no timeouts, no halftime and you absolutely cannot quit.
• Breathing is especially important. Although there is nothing relaxing about this game, you must practice calm, yogic breathing throughout the entire event.
• Imagine you are on your last repeat of an 8×400 speed workout, at mile 20 of a marathon and at the last pushup of a set to fatigue. Be prepared for all of the strange bodily responses that occur with these events. You may puke, lose control of your bowels and emit loud, embarrassing grunting sounds.

Despite all of these factors, millions of women enter this event called labor every day, for one reason. When all is said and done, you will get to take home a prize more valuable than an Olympic gold medal. I say, let the games begin!

A recent Duke University Medical Center study confirms what many trainers have been telling clients for years.  Burn more calories, lose more fat. The study claims that aerobic exercise is better than resistance training is at banishing belly fat because it burns more calories.  

The truth is, traditional aerobic exercise (think running, swimming, biking) is a better calorie burner than traditional resistance training (think 3 sets of 10 with 60 seconds rest in between). But if you change its traditional format, resistance training can burn massive amounts of calories — even more than your recurring date with the treadmill.

The key is to keep your heart rate elevated throughout your workout, so that your strength workout becomes aerobic. To do this, you need to cut out the time you would spend resting between sets and instead start performing another exercise (known as circuit training).  You also need to choose exercises that work large muscles and/or target multiple muscle groups at the same time.  For example, instead of performing a machine shoulder press, combine a squat with a dumbbell shoulder press.

When you perform full-body exercise in a circuit, not only are you maximizing calorie burn during the workout, you are building more lean muscle mass, which increases your metabolism in the long run.

This 15-minute circuit workout will help you get started. Perform each move for 30 seconds. Repeat each circuit 3 times.

Circuit 1

• Lunges with bicep curls
• Pushups
• Squat jumps
• Mountain climbers
• Rest 30 seconds

Circuit 2

• Isometric (stationary) squat with wide-grip row
• Plank with hip extension (alternate kicking with each leg)
• Bench dips
• Alternating lunge jumps
• Rest 30 seconds

Swimming is a great way to add variety to your workouts.

Three and a half years ago, I made it my New Year’s resolution to learn to swim. At the time, I was a hardcore runner, logging at least 30 miles a week and competitive as ever. I took up swimming mainly because I wanted to try a triathlon, but it turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done for my fitness.

My first months of swimming were humiliating. Between my frantic breathing and desperate attempts to add one more lap to my previous “record,” I must have had all the YMCA lifeguards on the edge of their seats. When I was finally able to swim 400 yards (16 lengths of the pool), I enrolled in an Aqua Boot Camp class. While other participants were resting between drills, I was flailing my arms and legs like some kind of drunken sea monster, trying to get back before the whistle blew for the next drill.

But I stuck with it. And while I’m certainly no pro, swimming brought me to the finish line of my first triathlon, helped me cope with two years worth of running injuries and is now keeping me happy and healthy in the last two months of my pregnancy.

I’ve found swimming to be such a valuable skill that I highly recommend everyone learn how. And no, you are not too old. Like going back to school, learning to swim is an investment. It takes time, patience and sometimes humility, but it’s an ability you’ll have for the rest of your life.

Still not convinced? Here are 10 reasons to learn to swim now.

1. It tones your shoulders and back, while also working almost every major muscle in your body.
2. It burns about 500 calories per hour (150 pound person swimming freestyle at a moderate pace)
3. It’s easy on your joints, allowing you to continue well into old age.
4. It’s practical. You can save your life if you ever fall off a boat.
5. It’s great for your cardiovascular system.
6. If you get any lower body injury (plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, knee pain, hip pain, etc.), you can still swim to stay in shape.
7. You can always improve your form, which means you can get faster even as you get older.
8. The only equipment required (besides a pool or body of water) is pair of goggles and a swimsuit.
9. You can do it alone.
10. It could actually extend your life. One study found that swimming cut men’s risk of dying by 50 percent, compared to runners, walkers and sedentary peers.

“Why? What did you do?” I asked.

“They were eating cake for someone’s birthday, and I turned down a piece. They asked if I was watching my figure, and I told them that my wife is pregnant so it’s my chance to be in better shape than she is. They just looked at me funny.”

I can see how that comment might not go over so well with most women. After all, men are supposed sympathetically indulge with their pregnant wives, right? In fact, I even read a book that advised men not to work on their own bodies during their partner’s pregnancy, out of concern that this might bruise her self esteem. The passage in the book reads: “As she’s feeling angst about changes in her body that she can’t control, you risk hurting her more by focusing too much attention on your physique during this time”  (YOU: Having a Baby, Simon & Schuster, 2009).

I totally agree. I mean, how am I supposed to feel sexy with my bump if my husband is rocking six-pack abs? I would feel so much better about myself if he got fat and started started puking. (Please acknowledge my sarcasm.)

It turns out men actually may be evolutionarily wired to put on extra weight during their partner’s pregnancy. But when you apply this adaptation to today’s lifestyle, the logic is completely backwards.

Check out this excerpt from Slate magazine :

Research shows that male marmosets and cotton-top tamarins—primates that, like humans, split child-rearing duties between the mother and father—gain as much as 20 percent of their body weight while waiting for the birth of their offspring. The finding suggests that couvade is biologically adaptive rather than psychologically neurotic: The hypothesis about the marmosets and tamarins is that the pregnancy paunch prepares a dad for the extra energy he’ll expend in helping to rear his baby.

Hmm… wouldn’t human Dad be better prepared if he lay off on the ice cream and started hitting the gym? That way, he could lug car seats, give piggy-back rides and chase down Junior before he pulls the cord out of the TV and lassos it to the ground.  Rather than pretend he’s prego, I would love for my husband to spend the next three months getting in great physical shape to be a daddy. I’m glad that’s how he feels, too.

As for his goal to be in better shape than me, we’ll see about that. Today when we were working out together, I offered to strap 15 pounds to his tummy so he could do “girl pushups.” He just rolled his eyes.  Looks like Mama’s still got her game.

Shake your salt habit and help your heart .

As you fill your plate at this weekend’s July 4th barbecues, you may be doing your best to dodge fatty foods, empty carbs or sugary sweets. But there is one additional shady ingredient to keep on your radar. Lurking in that brat, potato salad and coleslaw is a heck of a lot of sodium – and it ain’t your friend, either.  

The USDA’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, but most of us average about 3,400 mg. Excessive sodium that is too much for the kidneys to process is reabsorbed into your blood. In response, water enters your blood vessels, which increases blood volume and exerts pressure on blood vessel walls. Blood vessels respond by thickening and narrowing, which forces your heart to work harder to pump blood and increases your blood pressure.

If you’re consuming too much sodium, most likely your salt shaker isn’t to blame. Nearly 80 percent of the salt in our diets comes from restaurant and packaged foods. Chances are, the reason it tastes so good is the excessive amount of sodium added for flavor. Sodium is also used as a preservative, which is why even non-salty foods can be loaded with it.

The obvious solution is to cut back on processed foods and prepare more meals from scratch. But a coalition called National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI) is also working to reduce the sodium content in packaged and restaurant foods. In 2010, NSRI conducted a baseline assessment of New York City’s sodium intake and developed targets to guide company salt reductions nationwide. Participating companies include Campbell Soup Company, Kraft, Subway, Dietz & Watson (deli meat) and Heinz, among others. NSRI aims to reduce Americans’ salt intake by 20 percent by 2014.  

In the meantime, here are five tips to cut down on sodium this weekend.

1. Go easy on the condiments. Your hot dog is already swimming in salt, but adding ketchup, mustard and relish can add up to 300 mg of sodium. Instead, pile on fresh veggies such as tomatoes, peppers and onions.

2. Dress lightly. Some salad dressings have 400 mg or more of sodium. Instead of a creamy ranch or blue cheese, drizzle a light vinaigrette over your greens.

3. Choose a burger over a brat. Hamburgers are less processed than sausage, so they generally contain less sodium.

4. “Dilute” potato salad, coleslaw and other mayonnaise-laden salads. If you are the host, serve a dish of plain potatoes or cabbage alongside these summer staples. Guests can add more of a salad’s base for a less salty version.

5. Have a banana chaser. Foods rich in potassium counteract the effects of sodium, making them excellent for maintaining healthy blood pressure. You probably won’t find bananas at a barbecue, but you might find potatoes (yes!), beans, tomato products, cantaloupe and spinach, all of which are great sources of potassium.

My organic loot. I'm still not sure what to do with all that celery.

I’ve always prided myself on eating healthy. I love unloading my cart at the grocery store and watching the rainbow of produce slide down the conveyer belt. When others fall prey to mayonnaise-infused ”salads” at summer barbecues, I gaze smugly at my plate of raw veggies and chicken breast. For the most part, I avoid fried foods, stick to lean meats and eat whole grains.

But there is one factor in the healthy eating equation that until now, I’ve completely ignored: Eating organic. For the past 10 years or so, I’ve chosen to associate eating organic with tree-hugging, left-wing, hippie types. Though I know this is completely insane and untrue, it has allowed me to proudly stand my ground as a conventional foodie. Whenever I’d see a magazine article warning of the dirty dozen or touting grass-fed beef, I’d quickly flip the page, as if it were communist propaganda.

It’s not that I don’t believe in eating organic. I would love to know that everything I put in my body is natural and chemical-free. But the reality is, I’m too cheap to make it happen.

I know I can load my cart at Aldi or the local produce store for $50 and be set for the week. The way I see it, if I spent the same amount on organic groceries, my fridge would be barren within two days. I would eat like a queen on Monday and Tuesday and be forced to live on rice and beans for the rest of the week.

But pregnancy changes things. Every day I am bombarded with messages about how conventional foods are going to harm my developing baby. He will have a lower IQ, reproductive problems, behavioral disorders — the list goes on — all because I’m too cheap to set foot in a Whole Foods.

I raised my concern to my husband, who is all for me buying organic. He does not care how much it costs (he also will blow $50 on a good bottle of whiskey; needless to say, we don’t share the same spending habits). But I figured if I mentioned the issue enough, he would help guilt me into revamping my grocery shopping. Eventually he did.

Saturday was the big day. Determined to buy as many organic foods as possible, I first visited Caputo’s, my favorite produce store. The store has a small organic section, so I figured it would be a good start. My eyes lit up when I saw a 5-pound bag of organic celery for 99 cents. I snatched it up. I hate celery.

I found a few more organic vegetables – broccoli, carrot sticks, lettuce. Nothing exciting. I sighed as I passed fresh, juicy strawberries for $2 a pint. I forced myself to imagine some Mexican worker spraying bug spray all over them. Hopefully they will be on sale at Whole Foods, I thought. I did break down and bought a few conventionally grown tomatoes; at 45 cents a pound, how could I resist? If anything, I’ll feed them to my non-childbearing husband, I thought.

When I got to my second destination, Whole Foods, I had a mental list of what I still needed to buy: No 1 on my list? Strawberries. It’s June, and strawberries are in prime season, so I figured they couldn’t be that expensive. Wrong: They were “on sale” for $4.99 a pint. I couldn’t do it. My stomach dropped as I considered that I might never eat strawberries again.

I must have looked like a foreigner as I made my way through the produce section, perplexed at how anyone could fall for these outrageous prices. Meanwhile, moms wearing Tevas and carrying Lululemon shopping bags scooped up fruits and veggies like kids in a candy store. I settled on a few more tomatoes ($1.99 per pound), green peppers, apples and a red onion.

I was determined to buy organic meat and dairy products, so I resisted the urge to daydream about Aldi’s prices as I added chicken breast, tilapia, milk, yogurt (on sale!) and a pint of frozen yogurt (also on sale) to my cart.

All in all, my first organic adventure was a success. I must say, I felt proud when I pulled up at the checkout line behind a couple with an infant and 2-year-old. As if to remind me why I was doing this, the baby smiled. The family’s bill was $207. I just hope my kid doesn’t have a big appetite.

Want to make the switch to organic? Here are some things that helped me.

• Don’t buy foofy drinks. Vitamin water, sports drinks, juices and pop all add to your bill but do nothing to fill you up. Get used to water, filtered from the tap, and stop wasting money on liquid sugar.
• Split the difference. If you can’t resist a deal like $.45 tomatoes, buy a few and then buy the rest organic. This way, the organic price tag won’t seem as high. (I sometimes do this when buying shoes. If I get a great deal, I’ll allow myself to splurge on a second pair.) It’s better to cut out of half the pesticides than none at all.
• Eat in season. It’s still going to be more expensive, but if you stick to what’s fresh now, you will at least cut costs a bit.
• Have some standards. Whether it’s to avoid the dirty dozen or buy only organic meat, stay true to these basic principles.
• Make connections. Think about why you’re doing this. If it’s to prevent cancer, think about someone close to you whom you lost. If you’re going organic for your baby, picture your strong, healthy kid. Or, just imagine migrant workers armed with pesticides or chickens shuffling around in their own feces — whatever it takes. If I can do it, anyone can.

Take phone calls standing up and add to your daily calorie burn.

How much exercise do you get at work?  The New York Times “Well” blog Wednesday highlighted an issue that to me seems fairly obvious. As jobs have become more sedentary, Americans have become fatter.

According to a report published in the journal PLos ONE, jobs requiring moderate physical activity account to just 20 percent of the labor market, down from 50 percent in 1960. The report credits the trend with decreasing Americans’ energy expenditure by more than 100 calories per day.

One hundred-something calories is not a lot. As “Well” blog author Tara Parker Pope acknowledges, diet and exercise also play a major role in our country’s obesity epidemic. But what strikes me is not just the gap in calories burned at work, but also the lethargic mindset that accompanies eight hours of sitting.

I had a desk job for two years. I sat in my car on the way to work, sat at my desk at work and sat in the car on the way home. To compensate for all the sitting I was doing, I would run 4 to 8 miles every day, come home wired, and buzz around like a caffeinated bee until bedtime. But if not for my obsessive-runner personality, I can imagine what might have happened. I might have sat down to eat dinner, sat in front of the television, sat in front of the computer and finally laid down to sleep.

An object at rest stays at rest unless an unbalanced force acts upon it. For the majority of Americans who are “objects at rest” during their jobs, that force has to come from within. Here are some tips to get moving at work.

1. Hold yourself accountable. It’s great to say you’re going to take the stairs, but if your entire lunchtime gaggle flocks into the elevator at 12:05, are you really going to ditch them mid-conversation? Before you make any resolutions, recruit a coworker to join you. That way, neither of you can back out.

2. Set a timer at your desk/workspace to go off every 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, get out of your chair and take two minutes to take as many steps as you can. Wear a pedometer to keep track of how far you’ve gone, and make it your goal to beat your previous distance.

3. Eat lunch at your desk and use your lunch break to exercise. If you don’t have a gym at work, head outside. You can walk with light hand weights or if you have a park nearby, set up a simple, equipment-free circuit (see my blog, “All or nothing … or just five minutes,” February 24).

4. When you’re on the phone, stand. If you don’t need to take notes or use your computer, there’s no reason you need to take phone calls seated.

5. Bike or take public transportation once a week. Biking is obviously best, but even taking the el or train burns more calories than sitting in your car (yes, even if you drive stick shift).

6. Set measurable goals. Make a daily chart with four columns: Steps taken, stairs climbed, workout minutes, and cheating. Use your pedometer to fill out the first column and keep track of your stairs manually. For “workout minutes,” include biking to and from work and deliberate lunchtime workouts. For “cheating,” make a tally mark every time you get in an elevator or ignore your 30 minute timer. At the end of the week, add up the numbers in the first three columns and subtract the number in column four. Each week, try to beat your previous score.

Have more ideas? Let me know what works for you!